Phantom Blade
by hetalia43v3r
Summary: Danny can't take the lies or the masks, not anymore. Not when they've become so natural. So he turns on himself. Trigger warning: self harm and severe depression, if these could set you off, please do not read 3 I love you all. I also have no idea where this is going.
1. Chapter 1:Start of a Bad Habit

Phantom Blade

Trigger warning: self harm and severe depression, if these could set you off, please do not read 3 I love you all

Chapter 1: The Start of a Bad Habit

I sighed, staring out of the window of the GAV. We were going on a family vacation. Not that I minded, I really needed a vacation, but I had a feeling something bad was going to happen.

I snapped back in reality, "-if we find a ghost on this trip, I'll rip them apart, molecule by molecule!" My dad shouted. Well at least he was excited, every time I hear that, I feel even more depressed. Sure my parents didn't KNOW they were threatening their own son, but it only reminds me of how I lie to them. I felt a hand on my own, and turned to Jazz, she was giving me an apologetic smile, probably for having such weird parents. I have to lie to Jazz too, and that only darkens my mood more.

We pull into the campground, and start to unload. "Hey, you know you can talk to me about anything, right Danny?" Jazz asks, I contemplate telling her, but I know I can't, so I swallow the lump in my throat, and give her a fake smile, "Yeah of course, you're my sister." With every word, it gets harder and harder to keep my voice from cracking, and despite my best efforts, it cracks on the last word, 'sister'.

She's my sister; and I'm lying to her face. I don't know how much more of this I can take, especially without Sam or Tuck.

I finish putting up the tent Jazz and I will use, and tell my folks I'm going out in search of firewood. Another lie, and my mood sinks more.

I walk off, until I feel I am far enough away from the campsite that no one will hear me, and I cry. At first, it was easy to lie to my family, I had managed to convince myself that they were little white lies, no harm done, but as I continued, it got harder and harder.

I felt alone, completely and utterly alone, and that's when I saw it, a pocket knife, probably dropped by a hiker, and from the back of my mind, I feel the urge. That tiny voice saying, 'come on, do it!' And I reach my trembling arm out, picking up the knife.

I flip it open, and the clean, shining, silver calms my nerves, I welcome the coolness of the blade against my skin, the sharp sting that brings me out of my head. As I look at my wrist, the worst blow hits me, the sharp reminder that I am a freak, not human, and will never have a normal life. The ectoplasm in my blood, the slap in the face that told me that I did not belong with them. I was the halfa, I didn't belong with humans, or ghosts.


	2. Chapter 2:Seed of Doubt

Chapter 2: Seed of Doubt

After a week of lying, hiding my cuts, and family vacation time, I got home, and collapsed on my bed. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves, and fiddle with the pocket knife, I found that it eases my anxiety. I get up and walk to my closet, it's time for a new outfit, I don't want anyone seeing my scars.

I walk into school on Monday, and Tucker and Sam are delighted to see me, waiting by our lockers, I feel a swelling in my chest, I'm so happy to see them, but there's something else too, anxiety, and fear. I'm afraid they'll find out.

"Hey, you changed your look! Nice!" Tucker points out, and in response I look down at my new shirt and jacket, "You think?" I ask, unsure. "Yeah, glad to see you kept the jeans and converse though!" He laughs. "I have been wearing the same look for a year and a half now, I figured it was time for a change." I shrugged, hoping to god no one would get suspicious. I glanced at Sam, if a long sleeve shirt AND jacket wasn't suspicious, I would be in the cool.

To my very dread, she gave me a look that nearly gave me a panic attack right there, but then she smiled slightly, "Yeah, it looks good on you." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and we walked off to class together. I was good.

After the most stressful day of school ever, I walked home with Sam and Tucker, and a sudden thought occurred to me, did I even put away my pocket knife? It still had some dried blood and ectoplasm on it, Sam would be able to put two and two together, and Tucker would be stupid enough to point it out. In the midst of my panic attack, a part of me was surprised I started calling it MY pocket knife, I mean, I had stolen it.

For the first time in my life, I was relieved to feel my ghost sense go off. "Sam, Tuck, cover me!" I whisper yelled, diving into an alleyway and behind a dumpster, before transforming into Danny Phantom.

After the fight, which was easy, I turned to Sam and Tuck, "Hey, I better get this ghost back in the Ghost Zone as soon as possible, see you guys at my place!" I turned myself invisible as rushed to hide the evidence, the thought that I was now also lying to my best friends make me depressed. I could tell them, but I never wanted them to see me like that.

Sam and Tuck arrived just as everything was in place, the evidence was hidden and the ghost was in the Ghost Zone.

I heard them bounding up the stairs, and in my haste to pull my sleeve down I brushed against the scab, and hissed in pain. I pulled a smile on my face just as they opened the door.

"You know, you need to be careful with what you wear, that black tee, with that radioactive green hoodie, just screams 'Phantom'!" Tuck tells me, flopping down on my bed, leaning back, arms crossed behind his head like he owned it.

I force a laugh, but what really scared me was how good I was at this, the laugh sounded natural. I feel my heart sink to my stomach, and I feel a familiar itch on my wrist, just below the skin. The kind of itch I know only a blade can scratch.

I swallow the lump in my throat, and I feel I've probably paled a couple shades. If my friends notice, they don't say anything, and a tiny voice in the back of my heads whispers 'Great friends they are! They don't even notice!', I quiet it by thinking that's because I don't want them to notice, but it's too late... that seed of doubt has been planted.


	3. Chapter 3:Voices

Chapter 3: Voices

'Do they- Do they even care?' I think to myself, as I watch the strange blend of radioactive green and dark red leak from the latest of a series of cuts on my wrist, I had fifteen now.

'No, they don't.' The tiny voice stated, 'maybe before, but now, they're just friends with you out of pity.'

That voice, it's gotten louder now, easier to make out, more persuasive. But what really scared me the most, I didn't notice at first, since it was so quiet, but it sounded just like me.

I clean my cuts with toilet paper, and I even remember to clean my pocket knife off. I flush all of it down the toilet, I don't want my parents to get ahold of this stuff, the damage they could do with it, the secrets uncovered...

I actually bandage my wrists, and start to contemplate, 'why do I even do this to myself? It makes me feel better, but then so much worse...'

'Because you deserve it, you liar! You are constantly lying to your friends and family, to their faces!'

I squeeze my eyes shut at this, attempting to block out the voice, forget what it said, because it is so right...

'A little pain never hurt anyone, right? I deserve it, and it's not like I'm not used to it...'

I'm actually surprised at the lack of ghost activity this week... I mean, yeah, there's still the box ghost, and Skulker showed up once, but it's been pretty quite...

My musing is interrupted by my ghost sense, and I sigh,

"Well, that didn't last..."

As I prepare to shift into my ghost form, I hear the doorbell ring and I blink, 'Ghosts don't normally ring the doorbell...'

I push my sleeves down over my bandages, and peek my head out the door, just in time to hear my father answer the door with a "VLADDIE!"

'Great, Vlad's here.' I slowly travel down the stairs, if only to make sure he wasn't up to anything.

"Ah, Daniel." Vlad greets, and under his gaze, I freeze, suddenly aware of what I must look like; my normally uncooperative bangs have gone limp, and I could really use a shower. I have heavy bags under my eyes, which have gone dull. Normally robin's egg, they seem closer to Vlad's deeper blue.

I almost think I see a hint of concern from him, before my dad slaps him on the back with enough force to knock the breath out of a normal person, and his expression flickered back to irritation. I take the opportunity to flee back into my room, passing Jazz on the way, her giving me a worried look.


	4. Chapter 4: Breakdown

Chapter 4: Breakdown

'Oh no, oh no, oh no, ^oh no!^ I do not need my archenemy and secret crush snooping around right now!'

It was hard to pin down when exactly I started crushing on Vlad, but I guess the saying is true, there's a thin line between love and hate.

"Danny?" Jazz knocked on my door, peeking her head through, and I paused in my pacing,

"Y-yes?" I gave a small flinch at my stutter, and Jazz noticed.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, alright? No matter what's bothering you, I'm your sister, and I love you." She gives me a small smile,

I forcibly push down the sudden urge to cry, and give her a small, hesitant smile in return. She pulls her head back into the hallway, and the moment she has shut my door and I no longer hear her footsteps, I break down.

'YOU DON'T DESERVE HER LOVE, FREAK! FAGGOT! YOU THINK YOU EVEN HAVE A _CHANCE_ WITH VLAD?! HE'S A _BILLIONAIRE_! AND YOU'RE JUST SOME DUMB KID!'

Tears flow heavily, and I try and stifle my sobs. Despite having only last cut half an hour ago, I dash into my bathroom, swiping my pocket knife off my desk on the way.

Vlad POV

According to Skulker, Daniel acted differently last time he was "hunted," so I went to the Fenton's to check up on him... To make sure there have been no changes that could mess up my plans. Definitely not because I find Daniel positively adorable and was concerned, nope.

When I arrive, I am greeted by Jack, no surprise there, and am promptly given a bone-crushing hug. I turn to hear footfalls on the stairway, no doubt Daniel coming to investigate the ruckus, probably very shortly after his "ghost sense" went off.

The boy I see on the stairs... Is not my little badger, that much is clear. His hair is limp, eyes dull, and he is looking a noticeable amount thinner. I feel my mask slip, a bit of concern showing through, before Jack slaps me on the back _hard_, probably enough to have left me breathless if it not for me being a halfa, and I shift my face to show irritation as I hear Daniel retreat back upstairs. Running from me? The badger I know would glare, the 'what are you doing?' Written clearly across his face.

I need to investigate this further...


	5. AN

Hey, sorry y'all, I know I kinda dropped off the map for a bit, but in my defense my father has been in and out of the hospital. So this is an update of sorts, on the status of each of my stories.

In regards to "Phantom Blade," I have lost interest, and with no idea where I was even going with it, other than making it a Pompous Pep/Endangered Species fic, I am offering to pass the torch. If you are interested in picking it up, PM me and I will announce that you have it.

"Burned Out," I still want to work on this, but I've hit a wall. I encourage reviews, because not only do I know how many people are still interested, it might cause a spark.

And "Ivy Shadow," due to self-discovery, and general changes in life, this will no longer be a self-insert story. If I do continue it, which I am unsure of, Ivy will be an OC.

Thank you all for your understanding, and I hope to hear from you. Your opinions mean a lot to me, and it makes my day to know you took a minute or two out of your day to talk to me.


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